Safepad Production: Safepad™, the reusable menstrual pad, empowering Nepali women
October 2020
The project at a glance
Safepad production in Nepal is based on an agreement between SEIT Nepal, Real Relief Denmark and BGN Denmark. As a result, Nepali schoolgirls and women will benefit from the availability, now also in Nepal, of Safepad™, the reusable menstrual pad from Real Relief.
Formal structure, persons behind
As part of the agreement, the company Safepad Nepal Pvt. Ltd. was registered this October in Dhanusha and the affiliated Safepad Production Center in the village of Belhi near Janakpur was constructed and equipped. The center will produce Safepad under license from Real Relief. Further, it will continue a tradition of menstrual hygiene and awareness campaigns in collaboration with Belhi Health Clinic (BHC) which is operated by SEIT. Amit Kumar Sah, chairman of SEIT and Guru Prashant, leader of BHC, hold overall responsibility for the Safepad Project in Nepal. Responsibility for daily operation of the center and marketing is entrusted to Priyanka Thakur and Kavita Shah. Supervision and other assistance will be provided by Trine Angeline Sig, Managing Director of Real Relief and the key inventor and developer behind Safepad. Flemming Topsoe, chairman of BGN, has participated in the planning process and secured start-up funding..
The product
Safepad is a highly effective, reusable menstrual pad with permanent antimicrobial effect, reducing fungi and bacteria during use. This property is preserved after washing, even if washed with contaminated water. With a lifespan of at least two years, Safepad considerably reduces the environmental impact compared to disposable sanitary pads.
Work at the Production Center
After job interviews and an eventual period of training, Nepali women are offered sewing- and packaging jobs at the production center and thus sustainable incomes. By contributing to the business capacity of the village, their self-esteem is enhanced. In addition, the Safepad Production Center offers a healthy, socially attractive working environment for its employees. This includes assistance and guidance during pregnancy or illness as well as other benefits.
Background and rationale
Main barriers to sound menstrual practices are lack of attention and lack of funding. Setting up a sustainable supply chain, developing quality menstrual hygiene products and distributing proper educational information are keys to overcoming these barriers. In this context, the Real Relief booklet My First Period, explaining menstruation, what to expect and the do’s and don’ts, has been translated into Nepali for the benefit of Nepali girls experiencing their first period. Further educational material in Nepali is ready to be used by a network of instructors in all parts of Nepal.
Given the multiple cultural and personal challenges faced by women and adolescent girls, it is evident that promoting sound menstrual hygiene practices is not only about sanitation; it is also an important step towards safeguarding the dignity and bodily integrity of women and girls. The Safepad Production Center and its supporting organizations behind are therefore committed to putting the issue of menstrual health higher on the agenda in Nepal.
The Safepad Project Nepal will contribute to strengthening the living conditions of Nepali women and schoolgirls and better equip them to claim their civil, cultural, economic and social rights, while offering new hope and enterprise. In short, the project contributes to the empowerment and equality of Nepali women for the benefit of long-term economic growth and societal development.
The wider perspective
Country-wide marketing and commercialization activities – not only directed at Safepad production – will bring broader awareness of these issues. It is a goal of the project with its derived benefits, all aiming at alleviating poverty in the country, to be seen as an example to follow.
About SEIT Nepal
Social Eco Innovative Trust is an entirely non-profit, non-governmental and social development organization working in rural and need-based communities with the prime objective of increasing the socio-economic and financial status of the general population with the proper management of natural resources. The Trust has been working in the fields of agriculture, health, education, drinking water, and women and youth empowerment since the year 2012.
SEIT Nepal believes that the Safepad Project in Nepal will play an effective role in transforming menstruation hygiene among the wider population.
http://seitnepal.org.np/introduction https://www.facebook.com/SEITNepalOfficial SEIT Nepal Chairman: Amit Kumar Sah (+977 9851187051)
About Real Relief Denmark
At Real Relief we CHALLENGE – INNOVATE – APPLY. By making innovative and affordable life-improving products and services available to governments, relief agencies, NGO’s, faith-based organizations and private sector donors we are determined to make a real difference for people in need.
At Real Relief we offer exactly what we promise. Real relief! We promise governments, relief agencies, NGO’s, faith-based organizations and private sector donors that we will continue to challenge existing value chains to provide more relief to more people. We will innovate technologies and rethink distribution methods and efficiently apply these new competences to building sustainable relief market capabilities. But even more importantly, we promise to be relentless in our pursuit of excellence and to passionately work on behalf of honest people with good intentions, bringing real relief to those who need it the most.
Real Relief. Making a real promise.
More information about Real Relief and Safepad™ is available at: www.realreliefway.com or by contacting: Real Relief’s Managing Director: Trine Angeline Sig, at email: ts@realreliefway.com, or mob.: +45 2826 2600
www.facebook.com/realreliefway www.twitter.com/realreliefway www.youtube.com/c/realreliefway www.instagram.com/realreliefway https://www.facebook.com/Safepad-Nepal-1760005000777515/
About BGN Denmark
BGN, BelhiGruppen Nepal (www.bgnepal.dk) is a Danish NGO working around the village of Belhi, close to Janakpur, in Dhanusha District, Province 2. Belhi and surrounding villages have about 10.000 inhabitants. Most BGN-staff are retired people volunteering to make their professional and personal resources useful in developing the area. The close cooperation with SEIT is crucial.
The overall strategy embedded in the cooperation between BGN and SEIT is expressed in the concept BIRD (Belhi Integrated Rural Development), the idea being that progress can only be made by making an effort at all aspects of the developmental process at the same time.
Chairman: Flemming Topsoe, mob. +45 21332508, email: flemming@topsoefamily.dk